In support of the SickKids Herbie Fund, Scotiabank announced a new $1 million donation to support Phase Two of the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative, a project with a goal of helping to build a sustainable program to diagnose and treat paediatric cancer and serious blood disorders in the Caribbean.

The initiative – in which Scotiabank is recognized as the Telemedicine Partner – connects doctors at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto with doctors in six countries in the Caribbean to help improve – and in many cases, save the lives of young people. In addition, medical professionals across the Caribbean have access to participate in educational programming in Canada without ever setting foot on a plane.

"Prior to 2013, young people diagnosed with cancer or blood disorders in the Caribbean faced major systemic challenges," says Ted Garrard, CEO, SickKids Foundation. "There were few specialized diagnostic services, minimal data on treatment efficacy, and few health-care professionals with specialized training in the region. At that time, SickKids recognized the opportunity to make a difference and developed the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative, with Scotiabank signing on as the first financial institution to donate $1 million to the program. Now, with Phase Two of the program underway, we are grateful for Scotiabank's continued support through this additional $1 million gift."

Phase Two of the project is designed with the ultimate goal of enabling a full transfer of leadership and future sustainability to the Caribbean partners currently working in partnership with SickKids, including the University of the West Indies, Ministries of Health and key hospitals and institutions from the six participating Caribbean countries. This approach aims to improve the access and infrastructure to services for young people with cancer and blood disorders in the Caribbean, with enhanced capacity for country partners to provide a timely, accurate diagnosis and high-quality follow-up care.

"Scotiabank is proud to invest in the SickKids Caribbean Initiative to help as many young people in the Caribbean community reach their infinite potential and the right to thrive, through the benefit of improved access to the best healthcare," says Pruyn Haskins, Global Head of Equities at Scotiabank. "Young people are our future leaders and we recognize what is possible when they receive the backing they need to succeed. We have seen the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative do just that and are confident that our renewed $1 million donation will continue to help families in need for many years to come."

As Canada's international bank, Scotiabank has operations in countries around the world. We recognize and celebrate the impact that the medical professionals, volunteers and support staff at SickKids have on the hospital's young patients – no matter where they live – and that is why Scotiabank has supported the hospital for more than 30 years and is proud to continue that support through the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative.